Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 289: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

On the second day, just as dawn broke, a piece of news sent shockwaves through Konoha.

[The Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans were discovered colluding with the mysterious figure who orchestrated the Nine-Tails' attack on the village. They also aided in breaking the notorious criminal Danzo out of prison, intending to stage a coup! The Sarutobi clan was annihilated by Asuma Sarutobi in collaboration with the mysterious figure!]

[Asuma Sarutobi has been classified as an S-rank dangerous ninja! Danzo Shimura has been designated as an S-rank fugitive! All assets of the three clans have been confiscated!]

Since Danzo Shimura had already been stripped of his ninja status, he couldn't even be classified as a rogue ninja but was now wanted as a high-profile fugitive.

This news caused a massive uproar in Konoha and soon spread like a hurricane across the entire ninja world.

At the same time, the three clans were wiped out. Except for Sarutobi Konohamaru, only a dozen survivors remained.

"Damn the Sarutobi clan, how despicable!"

"The Hokage is too merciful! Why are those dozen survivors even left alive?"

"Exactly! The Hokage even erased their surnames! If not for that, hmph!"

"And that criminal's nephew, Konohamaru, dares to keep the name of Konoha? Disgraceful!"

As the news spread throughout the village, countless people in Konoha cursed the members of the three clans. After all, anyone who conspired to orchestrate the Nine-Tails' attack on the village was an enemy.

Not to mention the scandals that surfaced eight years ago when the Third Hokage's regime was ousted. Calling them scandals was already a generous understatement—calling it a deep web of sins would not be too much.

When the news spread across the ninja world, it caused widespread shock.

Meanwhile, the major ninja villages began secretly investigating whether Konoha had suffered significant losses due to the incident.

However, Konoha soon released another piece of information, overshadowing the annihilation of the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans entirely.

Konoha officially announced that on the night of the massacre, a member of the Uchiha clan in the Anbu awakened a new Mangekyo Sharingan!

This news created an uproar in the ninja world—Konoha now had another Mangekyo wielder!

Countless spies from the ninja villages began probing to find out who it was.

...

Iwagakure:

When Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, read the latest intelligence from Konoha, he slammed his desk in fury.

"Useless! The three clans were completely useless! They didn't even cause a ripple of unrest before being wiped out in silence, and now Konoha has gained another Mangekyo user for free."

The combined strength of the three clans was not weak. In an ordinary village, losing such clans would have caused significant damage. But over the last eight years, Konoha's military power had expanded massively.

The loss of the three clans barely impacted Konoha's military strength. Instead, they gained a Mangekyo Sharingan wielder, someone who could stand as a strategic powerhouse equivalent to a Kage-level figure.

"Useless! A bunch of useless fools!"

Onoki's anger was understandable. If the three clans had staged a coup, at least there would've been internal strife and losses for Konoha. But no—in their stupidity, they were completely wiped out by their people.

...

Sunagakure:

"Lord Fourth Kazekage, this is Konoha's latest intelligence."

After reading the report in his hands, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Baki, Konoha's strength has been overwhelming for a long time. The loss of the three clans means little to Konoha as it stands now. The real issue is this mysterious Mangekyo wielder."

"However, given the state of our Sunagakure, Konoha is still too strong for us. This is why we must continue to strengthen our alliances with other villages."

Living in the same era as the current Konoha, the Five Great Shinobi Villages were all experiencing unprecedented pressure.

Among the Five Great Villages, never before had one been able to develop a military force exceeding 40,000 ninjas. Yet Konoha had dared to do it—and at this rate, their numbers might even reach 50,000 in a few years.

Under this pressure, the other villages had no choice but to grit their teeth and push for growth.

But unlike Konoha, they couldn't afford to station their forces in smaller nations to have those nations support part of their army.

This led to internal problems.

Militarization at the expense of the economy! Financial issues began to emerge.

...

Kumogakure:

"Investigate! Find out exactly who this Mangekyo wielder is! Could this be a smokescreen planted by Konoha?"

The Fourth Raikage, A, roared in anger. Revenge still burned within him—not only for his father's death but also for the humiliation of the racial division within Kumogakure.

While the three major villages stirred up trouble, the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure raised his head, revealing blood-red eyes.

...

Konoha:

After such a massive event, the Hokage's office was filled with gathered Jonin.

At this moment, Uchiha Shirou stood solemnly, addressing the gathered jonin while presenting the intelligence reports.

"Sarutobi Asuma: specializes in Wind and Fire Release ninjutsu. His chakra weapon is the Flying Swallow. Known techniques include... As for Danzo Shimura..."

"The mysterious figure is Konoha's highest-level dangerous fugitive. It is suspected that this individual is an experimental creation from Danzo's old laboratory. Possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan, Wood Release, and space-time ninjutsu techniques..."

In this distorted ninja world, it was baffling that major incidents in the original timeline, such as S-rank rogue ninja, were never made public. It seemed as though they feared causing unrest, and even the three-clan rebellion was kept under wraps.

Shirou refused to make the same mistake. Perhaps others worried about their political achievements, but he didn't care.

Bluntly, he laid out the cold, hard facts of the three-clan rebellion for all to see, along with information about the three S-rank fugitives.

"Sarutobi Asuma, though not officially listed as a fugitive, is an extremely dangerous ninja. Any Konoha jonin encountering him must immediately notify reinforcements and avoid unnecessary conflict."

"Danzo Shimura, S-rank fugitive, specializes in..."

"The masked figure is exceptionally powerful and suspected of harboring a major conspiracy. Any Konoha ninja encountering this individual in the field is authorized to abandon their mission..."

When Uchiha Shirou, as Hokage, issued this final command, the office erupted in an uproar.

"Hokage-sama, this is Konoha!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama, this will harm our reputation in the ninja world!"

In the history of the ninja world, Konoha had never issued such an extreme order regarding a fugitive. To allow their ninjas to abandon missions upon encountering an enemy? Unheard of.

Over the years, Konoha's growing strength had also fueled a sense of pride.

However, Shirou silenced the chaotic office with a single piercing glance. His overwhelming aura commanded instant obedience.

"I will never sacrifice the lives of Konoha ninjas for the sake of empty pride. Under no circumstances will I tolerate unnecessary casualties."

"If you lack Kage-level strength or techniques to counter space-time ninjutsu, retreat immediately. The information you bring back is far more valuable than a pointless death."

"Yes!"

With resolute responses, the jonin dispersed with heavy expressions.

Many of them, however, felt even more loyal to Shirou for his commitment to protecting Konoha ninjas' lives.

Over the past eight years, Konoha's development has exceeded all expectations, earning the admiration of countless people.

As the group of Jonin left, Shirou, seated in the Hokage's chair, turned his gaze towards the window.

"Jiraiya, since you've returned, do you have anything you'd like to ask?" As the window opened, a tall, white-haired figure stepped in.

This time, Jiraiya's expression carried a rare seriousness. Upon entering, he saw Shirou along with Tsunade, who was yawning lazily to the side.

"With something this significant happening, how could I not return?"

Jiraiya sighed helplessly. He was well aware of the extremist rhetoric within the three clans over the past few years, and even of Shirou's repeated attempts to warn them and calm things down.

"The old man and the others have already passed. Why must they be labeled as traitors staging a coup?"

This was Jiraiya's deepest frustration. He had hoped to peacefully see his teacher off on his final journey, avoiding unnecessary conflict.

But Shirou simply laughed bitterly at himself.

"Jiraiya, I am not like the Third Hokage and the others, who would cover up the events that occurred during their tenure for the sake of so-called achievements. If I were to conceal the truth, then how would the actions of the three clans be explained?"

"Label Asuma a rogue ninja? Blame everything on some mysterious figure and Asuma? Self-deception?"

Faced with Shirou's sharp words, Jiraiya opened his mouth but ended up shaking his head helplessly. The old man's calculations had truly gone wrong.

He had thought his legacy would be preserved. However, not only was his reputation tarnished after his death, but Shirou also publicly revealed everything the three clans had planned.

With fairness and transparency, Shirou left Jiraiya speechless, not knowing what to say.

"Konohamru—what about him?!"

In the end, Jiraiya still asked about the last bloodline of his teacher. But Shirou responded with a disdainful smile.

"Jiraiya, I'm not your Third Hokage. The three clans should be grateful. If they had truly launched a coup and harmed the village, I would have shown no mercy.

As for now, the three clans have been completely eradicated. Konoha will no longer have these three clans. Konohamaru is currently in the hospital. If you're willing, you can take him with you. After all, being labeled the grandson of traitors is not an easy title to bear."

"I'll go check on him at the hospital."

Jiraiya let out a long sigh and fell silent. He felt immense guilt toward his teacher's only surviving bloodline.

If he took Konohamaru with him, would the boy grow stronger and develop thoughts of revenge? After all, it was the three clans who had attempted the coup. What if Konohamaru harbored hatred toward the village?

But if he left Konohamaru in the village...

With a troubled heart, Jiraiya made his way to the hospital.

...

"I'm a proud member of the Sarutobi clan, not a traitor! Without my grandfather, without the Sarutobi clan... Konoha..."

The young Sarutobi Konohamaru, having overheard some gossip and seen the disdainful looks of the nurses, completely lost his temper.

He screamed in rage, already deeply scarred by the overwhelming trauma he had endured.

"Shut up, kid! Just from the wealth and ninjutsu scrolls confiscated from your Sarutobi clan alone, it's clear those were things you never should've had. Especially several techniques that were even listed in the Forbidden Scroll of Seals.

The Third Hokage may have been the Hokage, but what right did he have to keep those for his clan? Without great merit... your Sarutobi clan is nothing but greedy and shameless..."

"Exactly! Back then, the Second Hokage must have been blind to hand over the Hokage position to your families of ingrates."

"Isn't that right? If the Hokage Guard hadn't been so cowardly back then, the Second Hokage would've survived, and none of this would've happened."

Although no one wanted to provoke an unruly child, the nurses in the hallway and the other patients in the nearby rooms couldn't hold back their mocking remarks. They completely tore away the last shred of dignity the Sarutobi clan had left.

This time, Shirou had not hidden a single detail about the coup. The confiscation and inventory of the three clans' assets were carried out in full view of the entire village, with participation from various clans and countless civilian ninjas.

Wealth and scrolls of ninjutsu—it was impossible for any clan to resist accumulating such things when they had a family member who had served as Hokage for decades. Once this precedent was set, the extent of the problem could only grow.

In the original storyline, even after Tsunade had become the Fifth Hokage, Konohamaru could still freely enter the Hokage Building's archives. This shows how the Sarutobi clan had long treated the Hokage's office as their personal domain.

"All right, the Hokage has issued a gag order. No one is to discuss this matter in public spaces."

An ANBU operative appeared, their cold voice echoing through the hallway. The gathered crowd sneered at the hospital room one last time before dispersing.

Inside the hospital room, Konohamaru thought of his parents and clan members, his eyes bloodshot and filled with hatred.

"Asuma! I'll kill you for this!"

His low, venomous growl echoed. Outside the window, Jiraiya remained silent. Only after the boy had exhausted himself and fallen asleep did Jiraiya glance inside, shake his head helplessly, and leave the hospital.

Konohamaru's situation was worrisome. If he gained power, it might lead to disaster. After all, the entire village now regarded him as the descendant of traitors.

"Old man, it's all for the sake of Konoha. I hope you can understand."

Jiraiya sighed deeply. He now hoped Konohamaru could live an ordinary life as a ninja.

Without power, he would live a mundane life, never capable of shaking the world.

...

Hokage's Office.

"Jiraiya, you're back again so soon?"

Seeing Jiraiya enter, Shirou looked puzzled, while Tsunade seemed to have expected it, smiling faintly.

"Jiraiya, it seems you've already understood the situation."

Jiraiya sighed and shook his head with a heavy heart.

"Tsunade, I only ask one thing: for the sake of the old man, who was once our teacher, let that child live an ordinary life."

Hearing this, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Shirou, on the other hand, calmly pulled out three files.

"Konohamaru refuses to abandon the Sarutobi name. Coming from a prominent clan, his heart is set on revenge. Here are three potential Jonin mentors. Jiraiya, you decide."

The files detailed three individuals: Special Jonin Ebisu, Jonin Commander Minato Namikaze, and Elite Jonin Shikaku Nara.

All three had close ties to the Third Hokage and had received his favor in one way or another.

This was essentially Shirou handing Jiraiya a multiple-choice question.

Jiraiya wasn't foolish. He immediately understood.

"I see. Minato and Shikaku aren't suitable. Ebisu it is. Let him guide Konohamaru to be an ordinary ninja. When he grows older and realizes he can't change anything, he'll understand."

Shaking his head, Jiraiya set aside the files on Minato and Shikaku, indicating that he only wanted Konohamaru to live a simple life.

"I'll talk to Ebisu and ask him to guide Konohamaru carefully."

At this, Jiraiya suddenly let out a hearty laugh.

"When you're young, you might overestimate yourself. But once you realize you lack the power to change the world, you'll accept reality."

"Alright, I'm off!"

As Jiraiya left boldly, Tsunade raised an annoyed eyebrow.

"That old pervert doesn't trust us."

"Let it go, Tsunade. It's understandable."

Shirou chuckled and shook his head. Tsunade sighed in rare frustration, deciding to put the matter behind her.

At the very least, there were no more internal threats in Konoha. She could now focus on her training and research.

Meanwhile, Shirou squinted as he gazed through the window at the entire village and the golden Hokage Rock under the sunlight.

His ambitions were just beginning!